taylor



March 19, 1935. w. TAYLOR 1,994,796

' CAR DUMPING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 29 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR,Maifch 19, 1935. w, TAYLQR 1,994,796

Y CAR IQJUMPING APPARATUS Filed uv. 29, 1953 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedMar. 19, 1935 V U-N-i T ES PATENT OFF 1 (I E GARiDUlVEEING'AB-PARAEUS fErnest W; Taylor, Bay City,, lvlich jassignor to V Industrial BrownhoistGorporation, Bay City, Mich, a; corporation of Ohio Amaaaasqie ba 29,weaseriarm. 700,2 5 lirClaims. (61; 214 -123) This invention relates: toimprovements in car dumping apparatus and especially tolanattachmerit-Tor seeuringthe-car clamp-assembly against vertical movementuntil-the can hasbee'n'shifted 5 and raised into proper relation withtheeclamp assembly proper. i' I In" the wellrknown iormoficar dumpingapparatus, a loaded: car is run onto-a cradle which is providedin.jaconventional't'tower so that the car and: cradle: may be elevated andthen. tilted to dischargethe car- :contents .into' v a, suitable chuteor other receptacle. sUsually.1..a. suitable car clamp or cover assemblyis provided for regulatingrthe flow ofwcoalhas': it isidischarged', saidcar clamping means remaining stationary during. the

I initialupward movement of, the car and: cradle, which movementbringslthecar into. engagement and: proper relation with the clampingmeans, after which the cradle, car, and clamping means raiseasa unit.

When mechanism of this-type has; been in use for a. period of time,considerable fine material, such asicoal orothergranularparticles, siftsinto theverticalaways or guides in which thecar clampsassembly. travelsand freezes the mechanism... Ithas'. been found: that in. some instancesthere is no initial movement of thecar and: cradle, but 'that aIl:parts. raise as .a unit;icon'sequently, the cover of the car clamp.assembly which limits the discharging-area .ofthe car when it is intilted. position, is not. properly spaced with relation tel-the top: ofthe car; the discharging operation causesspillageand breakage; and isotherwise unsatisfactory, andwhere-no cover is provided, the car is notsecurelyheld iand shifts on the cradle-when turned to dumping. position.

It is, therefore, the prime object of the inven- 'ticn to provide alatch mechanism associated with the :car clamp assembly,- and" by meansof which -said assembly is held stationary until the car and: cradlehave made the initial movement and the car engages "and actuates saidlatch mechanism to release the clamping assembly, after which the car,cradle, and clamping mechanism raise as a unit and are tilted to dumpthe -car, the-' c'lamping means or'cover assembly being properlypositioned to controland confine the discharge of the coal. 1 V

- Another object is to design simple, practical, andecQnomic'aLlatching; means which is automatically actuated as the car israised, and which positively releases the cover cl-amps so that theymovewiththe carand cradle when the car is properly positionedwithrelationt'o said cover OIELmPSI A further. object is toprovide simpleand practical. means. for anchoring the. cover clamps againstverticalmovement until the carhas raised to proper position andintocontact with said: latching mechanism, thereby insuring the 5 coverbeing properly positioned with 'respect to the car, preventing anyuncontrolledflowofcoal ormater-ial when the car is tilted: to dumpingposition; and eliminating the usual breakage occasioned thereby.

These and other features of the' invention will be more fully apparentfrom the following specification, when read in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation illustratingcoal handling 15 apparatus embodyingthe invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary "part sectional View showing thecradle, car, clamp, and cover member.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2 and illustrating thecarin raised-position and-the latch in its released position.

Fig. i is an enlarged detail of-theca-r clamp and latch. 1

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail showthe mechanism in tiltedposition. I

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates the usual tower -orsuperstructure of the car dump. This is provided with the conventionaltrestle 11 between the ends of which a car cradle-l2 is 3 located, sothat the car B may be'runonto the cradle for elevating and dumping itscontents. Standard tracks or rails 13 are provided on the cradle: 12',and suitable conventional shifting means 14 is provided sothat the carmay. be shifted against the side Wall 15, of the cradle. when themechanism, is actuated;

Guides 16. are formed in the side wall of the crad1e,;an d; verticallydisposed posts 1;7 are slidablym n ed t e e a ove han ing head 18 bein rdly ecur d o-each pos and h head 7 is formed with ears l 9.to which theclamps 20 are pivotal y connected by means of the pinszi,

a plate- 22 being connected to these clamps and forming a cover for theopen end of the car, all as described and; claimed in myapplication forCar dumping apparatus, filed May 8thy1933, Serial No. 669,823, and whilethis application relates to a specific dumping apparatus, it will be 5clearly understood that the mechanism herein described is not limited toany specific form, but is applicable tocany dumping apparatus forinsuring proper, cooperation of the cover assembly with the car whentilted to discharge the lead,

and also for securing proper positioning or the car on the cradle.

Counterweights 23 are connected to the cradle 12 by means of cables 24and. are trained over the sheaves 25 and 26 which are mounted in the topof the tower, and in practice the cradle with the car thereon movesupwardly until the top of the car engages the heads 18 of, the clamps 20so that it is properly positioned with respect to the cover or clamps;the mechanism then moves upward as a complete unit. 7 After the cardumper has been in use for a period of time, I have found that there isno initial movement of the car and cradle with respect to the posts andclamps; consequently, the top of the car and the cover are not in properrelationship when the load is discharged, and this is due to the finedust, slack, and similar material'sifting into the guides 16 where itfreezes and wedges the posts so that they move with the cradle, and Ihave, therefore, provided means for positively anchoring the posts untilthis initial movement takes place andthe car is elevated to properposition, said means comprising latch mechanism which anchors the poststo supports 27 provided on the trestle, each support being formed with ajaw 28 as clearlyshown in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The latch mechanism includes a trip 29,-one end being pivotallyconnected to thev post at the point 30, the opposite end projectingoutwardly beneath the head 18 and into the path of travel of the car asit is elevated. One end of a vertically disposed rod 31 is pivotallyconnected to the trip 29 at a point intermediate its length, theoppositeend being pivotally connected to the latch 32 by means of the pin 33,said latch being pivotally connected to the post at the point 34,theopposite leg of said latch being hook shaped as shown at 35, and

vided on the tower so that the car and cradle are tilted and swung toposition as clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the clamps andcover swinging over and forming aclosure for the top of the car so thatthe discharge, of the load is regulated. 7

A pan or apron 38 is connected to the tower at the point 39, and ontowhich the material is discharged, said material flowing into a chute 40,

and which is positioned over a ship, bin, or other receptacle (notshown), this apron and chute being adjustable in the conventionalmanner.

Suitable hoisting means (not shown) is provided for elevating the cradleand car, and after the load is discharged, the car and cradle arereturned to original position, the latch 32 engaging and'again anchoringthe posts to the supports. The empty car is then rolled away, and thenext loaded car placed in position, and the cycle repeated.

The operation is simple, smooth, and positive,

it insures efiicient dumping without spillage, it eliminates wedging andthe breakage occasioned :by the unrestrained flow of coal when the caris .tilted without the cover being properly positioned, and insures the.car being held against shifting when tilted to discharge the load.

What I claim is: a

1. In a car dumper, a tower, a cradle adapted to carry a car upwardly inthe tower and at a certain elevation to tilt said car, posts mounted insaid cradle and anchored in said tower, clamps secured to the upper endof said post, and means engageable by said car for releasing said, postswhen the car has been raised apredetermihed distance to permit theirupward travel as a unit with said cradle. V V

2. In a car dumper, a tower, a cradle adapted to carry a car upwardly inthe tower and at a cer tain elevation to tilt said car, posts anchoredin Y I said tower and having clamps pivotally secured thereto, andlatching means engageable bysaid car for releasingsaid posts and clampsto permit their upward travel as a'unitwith said cradle. 7

3; In a car dumper, a tower, a cradle adapted to carrya car-upwardly inthe towerand tilt said car, posts detachably anchored in the tower'andslidable in said cradle, cover clampsconnected'to theupper ends ofsaid'posts, and means engage? I able by saidcar for releasing said postsat a ,cer .tain' predetermined. point in the-upward travel' semblyassociated with the cradle and having a limited movement withrelationthereto, spaced apart stationary supports, means anchored tosaid supports for securing the cover clampv assembly against verticalmovement until the'car is moved into engagement therewith, said meansincluding a trip projecting into the pathof travel of the car andadapted to be engaged thereby for releasing said cover clamp assemblyfrom said supports ata predeterminedpoint in the upward travel of thecradle. I

6. An apparatus of the character described, a tower, a cradle mountedtherein and adapted to carry a car upwardly in the tower and tilt saidcar to discharge the contents thereof; a counterbalanced coverassembly-mounted in said tower and includingposts slidablyengageablewith said cradle, means for anchoring. said posts" in said tower, andlatching means engageable by said car for releasing said posts atapredetermined point inthe upward travel ofsaid can. x

. 7.'An apparatus of the character described comprising a tower, acradle mounted in the tower and adapted to carry a carupwardly'andtilt'to discharge the contents thereof, -a counterbal ancedcover assembly, spaced. apart supports, posts anchored tosaidsupportsand having their upper ends pivotally. connected toqsaidcover assembly, and means for releasing said posts from said, supportsat a predetermined pointin the upward travel of said cradle- 8. Anapparatus of theflcharacter comprising a tower, a cradle mountedin thetower and adapted to carry a car upwardly and; at a cer-. tainelevation" to tilt to discharge the contents thereof, a counterweightedcover assemblymount- .ed on said cradle and having a-lim'itedslidingimovement with relation thereto,'means;for,.an choring said cover to saidtower, and. meansex- 2 tending into the path of travel of the car forreleasing said cover assembly at a predetermined point of travel of saidcar. a

9. In a car dumping apparatus comprising a tower, a car cradle mountedin the tower and adapted to carry the car upwardly and at a certainpoint to be tilted to cause the contents of the car to be dumpedtherefrom, a cover assembly mounted on the cradle and having a limitedvertical movement with relation thereto, spaced apart supports and towhich said cover assembly is detachably anchored, and means on thecradle for releasing said cover assembly at a certain predeterminedpoint in the upward travel of said cradle.

10. In a car dumping apparatus comprising a tower, a cradle mounted insaid tower and adapted to carry a car upwardly therein, a cover assemblyassociated with the cradle and including spaced apart posts mounted toslide therein, spaced apart supports, a latch for detachably securingsaid posts to said supports, and a trip member projecting into the pathof travel of the car and adapted to be actuated thereby to release saidposts from said supports.

ERNEST W. TAYLOR.

